About the YKK AP
Technology Museum
- HOME
- About the YKK AP Technology Museum
- Concept of the YKK AP Technology Museum
- Floor Map
- Exhibits
- The Hall of YKK AP Predecessors
- Architecture: A Fusion of Old and New
Concept of the YKK AP Technology Museum
Passing on YKK AP’s History Since its Founding and its Spirit of Monozukuri.
YKK AP’s Architectural Products Business was born in 1959, in the midst of rapid growth in the fastener business. This was driven by leaders with passion for architectural products and a large number of engineers. They succeeded in making the business thrive through their experiences and failures.
Our business is grounded in the YKK Group’s long-cherished ideals: the YKK Philosophy, the CYCLE OF GOODNESS® and the “Management Principle”.
Invention, ingenuity, and the creation of new value in business activities. This is what define the YKK Philosophy, and “technology” is indispensable in putting this philosophy into practice.
In 2020, on the 30th anniversary of YKK AP’s founding, we adopted "We Build a Better Society Through Architectural Products" as our Purpose.
In the belief that it is important to properly understand the history of our Architectural Products Business since its establishment and to uphold its spirit, we took this opportunity to open the museum in 2024.
Floor Map
A story of four eras.
Touring the four areas of "The Beginnings," "Growth," "Evolution," and "Challenge," you can experience the history of YKK AP’s monozukuri first-hand and discover the passion and thoughts of its engineers.
Exhibits
The Beginnings
How did a zipper company come to make sashes for Residential and commercial buildings?
Behind this lay a dramatic story of twists and turns in the pursuit of new technology.
Engineers are driven to create new things by learning from their mistakes.
Here you can learn about the process of trial and error that led up to the start of our Architectural Products Business.
Growth
To create products we can proudly offer, we must take ownership of every process.
Aiming to create better products, our engineers are committed to making everything themselves, from a single screw to the manufacturing equipment, and to this end, they have developed their own unique technologies.
A succession of powerful exhibits trace the diverse advancements in YKK AP’s monozukuri,from mass production during the era of rapid economic growth to the shift toward small-lot production of a wide variety of products, and to the era of thermal insulation windows.
Evolution
To the next stage of windows.
YKK AP has been evolving to meet the diversifying needs of customers and bring comfort in homes throughout Japan.
With our window business, we have developed a business model that challenges conventional wisdom and have also established new technologies in curtain wall systems used for super high-rise and high-difficulty commercial buildings.
We also strive to create products tailored to local needs in overseas markets.
This is a group of exhibits that convey the full extent of YKK AP’s wide-ranging technologies.
Challenge
Our pursuit of technology continues.
"We Build a Better Society Through Architectural Products."
Guided by this Purpose, YKK AP's engineers continue to take on the challenge of further technological development.
How can we reduce our impact on the global environment?
How do we create value that has never existed before?
These exhibits showcase the current cutting-edge developments.
The Hall of YKK AP Predecessors
Learn more about the beginnings of YKK AP.
The Hall of YKK AP Predecessors depicts the tireless efforts of Hisamasa Yoshida, the originator of our Architectural Products Business, along with his top team, as they overcame numerous challenges and failures to get the business on track.
Architecture: A Fusion of Old and New
Bringing the factory where YKK AP started into the next generation.
The YKK AP Technology Museum is housed in a historic facility built to accommodate the large aluminum extruder that served as the catalyst for launching our Architectural Products Business. Creating numerous kinds of architectural products, it supported YKK AP’s monozukuri for half a century.
When we renovated this building, the birthplace of our Architectural Products Business, we chose to preserve its steel structure, ensuring its legacy would be passed on to the next generation.
Light pours in through the all-glass exterior walls, and in the newly transformed space, you can discover many areas that have been preserved exactly as they were in the past.
